


Reprise

by EchoFour



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Minor Discussions of PTSD and trauma, Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23143156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EchoFour/pseuds/EchoFour
Summary: Steven and Connie are on a visit to Beach City from their home together in Kansas, and Connie makes good on a promise from their past.A follow-up to Together Forever taking place a few years after the end of canon.
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Comments: 83
Kudos: 543
Collections: Steven Universe Completed Recommended Reads





	Reprise

**Author's Note:**

> There was some beautiful art made for this by one of my friends on Discord that she gave me permission to include in the story. Thank you so much, [suf-fering!](https://suf-fering.tumblr.com/)

It had been a few months since they'd visited Beach City, long enough that it wasn’t exactly as he remembered it. There were even more gems around now than his last visit, and even some of the buildings were gem now. It put a pang in his heart to see it, all the changes happening without him. But he tried to put it out of his mind as he walked to the boardwalk.

He was nearly to the end of it, past the Funland and the shops, when he finally saw her. He couldn’t help breaking into a grin and upping his pace a little, sneaking in behind her to wrap her up in a hug.

She squeaked. “Steven!” She turned in his arms and kissed him. “I missed you.”

“Well, you’re the one who ran off, Connie.” He hugged his girlfriend tight and gave her a sparkling kiss on the cheek. “Did you get everything done you needed to? All your mysterious errands?” He giggled.

“Yeah. I got it all done.” She pulled away and brushed a hair out of her eyes. “Nothing but time for you now.”

“And what are we going to do with that time?”

“I have some ideas.” She took his hand. “How about a walk down the beach? See some familiar sights?”

“Sounds nice.” He smiled, and they started to walk.

The sand crunched beneath their shoes, an old familiar feeling. Steven remembered when he felt this every day, back before he and Connie had left. "Do you ever miss it?" He asked her. “Uh, here, I mean.”

"There's stuff I miss. But Kansas is, I don't know, it's bigger. I like the big city. I feel more _me_ there, you know? More things that catch my interests, more places I can be myself and feel like I fit in." She squeezed his hand. "And I couldn't make much change here. I'd rather put my support somewhere that needs it more. But... definitely things I miss. I miss our families. I miss the ocean, and walking it with you."

"Yeah, there's a lot more places to make and hear music in a city. Wouldn't want to muscle in on Sour Cream here.” He laughed and put an arm around her. “But... the ocean is nice. And it's weird to see so few gems out in Kansas. There were so many on the boardwalk." Steven sighed. "I hope the whole world is like that someday."

"It will be. There's so many things gems and humans can learn from each other." She smiled at him, and there was a little gleam in her eye. "I know I learned a lot from you."

"Don't fish for compliments too hard, Connie." He bumped shoulders with her and they both laughed. "But yeah. Me too. You taught me to be human again. And I really, _really_ needed that."

They walked past the temple and the old beach house, now a gem embassy, and a bittersweet pang struck them both. Things were moving on, and they weren't really part of it anymore. They'd moved on too. They’d had to.

They didn’t stop in.

The silence stuck until they passed the temple. "The last few years have been great with you, Steven." Connie swallowed hard. "All your support while I was getting my bachelor's, and now my master's... It's been so good. I've loved having you around."

"It was hard to leave," Steven admitted. "But I guess that's growing up. You pick what's worth holding hardest. And it was always you, Connie."

"You too, Steven." She cleared her throat. She couldn't be choked up right now. 

Steven slowed, and as she turned to him he came to a stop. He looked out over the ocean, watching waves roll in, shifting sand, changing the shore moment by moment.“Even with all my problems?” He cleared his throat. “I know I haven’t been… easy. All the time. And I’ve needed you a lot. And that’s not going to change.” He didn’t cry. He was long past crying over this. But sometimes he needed assurance.

And Connie knew how to give it. She stepped in front of him into his line of sight and took both his hands in hers. “You’re not the only one with some of those problems.” She leaned against him, putting her head on his shoulder. “And yes. Even then. I wish I could make them go away, and I know I can’t. But I’ll always be here with you. We help each other.” He gripped her tight, and she did the same to him. They stood there for a while, just embracing and supporting and being alive.

“Sorry.” Steven wiped his eyes and chuckled weakly as he pulled away. “You know how it is. Old place, old memories, old feelings.”

“You know you never have to apologize for needing me, Steven.” She kissed his cheek before he pulled away too far. “I never want to stop needing each other.”

“Okay,” he answered in a small voice. He took her hand again. “Thank you.”

They got back to walking, and the bad moment was swept away with another crashing wave.

She watched the rocks, careful to be sure of where they were, and as they started towards the bend she nudged him. "You know where we are, right?"

He grinned. "We're on the beach. Are you pointing out that it's where we met? Isn't that a little played out?"

Connie bit her lip. "I hope not. There's always room for the classics."

They came over a hill and Steven stopped dead, even as Connie kept going. Spread out on the sand was a picnic. Flowers were strewn around, bluebells and poppies, and at the back behind the food was a violin leaning against the rock. Connie walked to it and picked it up, turning to him with a shy smile.

Tears filled his eyes as he took a few wondrous steps closer. "Now?" Steven asked, voice trembling.

Connie nodded back, a few tears falling. "Now."

Steven stepped towards the picnic blanket, trying to keep himself under control. He knelt in the sand, beamed up at her, and waited. She looked at him, imagined a long life at his side, and the thought of it was all she could ever need.

Connie lifted the violin and started to sing.

[ _Art provided by suf-fering on tumblr_ ](https://suf-fering.tumblr.com/post/612611842991439872/tears-filled-his-eyes-as-he-took-a-few-wondrous)

**Author's Note:**

> The episodes yesterday rocked me to my core, and I really wasn't sure if I could write happy things in this fandom again. So I wrote this to prove to myself that I can. I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
